A friend recently introduced me to the music of Mike Rosenberg, better known as Passenger, and I immediately fell in love. Perhaps it was initially due to the strong nostalgia I felt for Glasgow while listening to "Feather on the Clyde", but that superficial sentiment was soon replaced by true appreciation. The delicacy of Rosenberg's voice is so comforting- like open arms assuring you everything will be okay. And yet the innocence in his voice is misleading. His lyrics are loaded with comic wit and irony, singing every so sweetly in "I hate" with lyrics like "And I hate them magazines, aimed at insecure teens/That make ten year old's race to grow up/Hey kids, let's all be anorexic or better/Eat chocolate until you throw up". Whether the song is a societal critique or a sorrowful ballad of love, though, every word is genuine.
I was only able to see the first few songs Passenger played at Debaser Slussen, but the clarity and strength in his voice made the brief moment memorable. As I was leaving he covered Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" to a sold-out audience and aside from his voice ringing out, not a single person in the crowd dared to make a sound. Everyone was entirely focused on Rosenberg, enthralled by his presence, breathing in the veracity being expelled from his lungs. I felt robbed having to leave after that. What I wouldn't have given to be able to experience more of his music and the soul he so lovingly was pouring out through it. Such a phenomenal talent. I will be sure to catch the entirety of his next performance in Stockholm.
Passenger covering "The Sound of Silence"
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